I have always loved this verse. It holds such promise, doesn’t it? As I delved into this passage in depth, I found some pretty cool truths.
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…” The Hebrew word for “know” is (yâdaʻ), and it means to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing). “To ascertain by seeing” strikes me. Only our eternal God knows the past, present, and future. So when God says, “I (yâdaʻ)” the plans He has for our future, it’s because the great I Am is already there. He sees it. He knows it.
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…”. “Plans” comes from the Hebrew root word (châshab), meaning to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave. Pause to ponder the word “plait”. We plait hair into a pretty braid. Thin strips of wood are weaved (plaited) together to form a basket. Just like there’s intentionality in those actions, there is also intentionality in God’s plans for us too. He is plaiting our circumstances together to make things both beautiful and useful. There isn’t one situation that enters our lives where He can’t be found between, within, and throughout the circumstances of that situation. That’s the truth that Romans 8:28 (AMP) is describing – “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” God is present in every circumstance, and all things are being plaited together for our good and for His purpose. God sees the plans He is plaiting together for us. You may be saying, “but I don’t see God in this situation”. Well let me ask you this. Are you looking for Him, or is your focus on your circumstances? Yeah, that’s an ouch for me too. I can be staring at God, or I can be staring at my circumstances, but I can’t be staring at both. I have to choose.
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you…”. Pause to ponder the word “prosper’. Our English perception of “prosper” may include things like money, possessions, status, etc. But in the Hebrew language, the word “prosper” is the word (shâlôwm) peace – peace with God in covenant relationship is the starting point of His plan for us. So often we doubt God’s goodness, or His promise to “prosper” us because we don’t understand what exactly He is promising.
Pause to ponder what Jesus was saying when He told His disciples “…My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” He was telling them that His peace is not based on outward circumstances, but instead on the inward constancy of our relationship with God through Jesus. It’s not the circumstances outside, but the Spirit of God inside that enables peace.
Confession time. I’m a control freak. So I’m not at all surprised that the Spirit just brought Philippians 4:6-7 to mind. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God ,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God doesn’t come from understanding all the ins, outs, the whats and whys of our circumstances. Peace settles in when we choose to pray and then to trust God in the midst of our circumstances. As we trust that He is plaiting our circumstances (whatever the sort they are) together for His glory and for our good, we experience peace. I am in no way alluding that trust comes easy. It does not. It is a choice to acknowledge (in our heads and in our hearts) that God is God and we are not, and it is also making the choice to surrender to whatever He is “plaiting” together for us. Just like physical muscles get stronger the more they’re worked out, your trust “muscle” will also get stronger the more you exercise it.
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you…” “Harm” comes from the Hebrew root word (râʻaʻ) which means to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good for nothing. God isn’t saying that seemingly bad things never happen to believers, but what He IS saying is that He doesn’t waste painful times. His plan is to use all things together for our good and His glory.
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope…” Hope – (tiqvâ) – comes from the Hebrew root word (qāvâ) that means to bind together (perhaps by twisting), i.e. collect; (figuratively) to expect. “To bind together, perhaps by twisting” sounds alot like the “plaiting” of the word plan (châshab), doesn’t it? Our hope is found in the fact that God has a purpose for the circumstances that enter our lives. While the action of twisting/plaiting our circumstances together may not be painless, we have the expectation that God is using the process to transform us increasingly into the likeness of His Son.
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” The Hebrew word for future is (‘aḥărîṯ) and it means, the last or end, hence, the future; a happy close of life, suggesting sometimes the idea of a posterity, promised to the righteous. The “happy close” of the life of a believer is rooted in the (shalowm) he has found in relationship with God.
God’s plan for us is so all-encompassing. It’s peace in our “right now”, knowing that He is here and actively working in the situations in which we find ourselves. It is peace in the “what’s next” because we know that God is already there. It’s peace at the “close of life” because we know that an eternity with Him in heaven awaits us.
